Islamabad: Chinese officials have appreciated the progress made by Pakistani authorities in apprehending a key suspect and punishing the perpetrators involved in the deadly suicide bomb attack on Chinese teachers at the University of Karachi in April.
Two months after the attack, Pakistan says it has arrested a man who allegedly provided technical support for the terror attack outside Karachi University’s Confucius Institute. Three Chinese teachers and their Pakistani driver were killed when a female suicide bomber, Shari Baloch, detonated herself.
The attack was the outcome of the combined efforts of two banned militant groups, the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), Sindh information minister Sharjeel Memon told reporters. The accused man, Dad Baksh, arrested in Karachi on Monday has confessed that he was a commander of a sleeper cell of the BLF militant organisation, officials said.
Memon also said that a “neighbouring country” is believed to have links with the militant network. Without naming the country, he said that the country in question would be notified at the government level that their land was being used for terrorist activities.
Baksh has “confessed to carrying out surveillance of Chinese nationals at Karachi University and important installations on the task given by Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA)” and also provided assistance to the female suicide bomber and her husband Habitant Bashir Baloch, he said.
Sindh information minister claimed that the terrorist “went to a neighbouring country and was trained by another terrorist named Zeb, an improvised explosive device (IED) expert, at the BLF and BLA camp at the Majeed Brigade’s headquarters.”
China praises efforts to punish culprits
China has appreciated the arrest of the key suspect involved in the terrorist attack on the Confucius Institute by Pakistani authorities. At a routine press briefing in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said: “China is closely following Pakistan’s investigation into the terrorist attack ... We appreciate the strong efforts made by the Pakistani side.” At the same time, he expressed hope that the “Pakistani side will get to the bottom of this attack, bring the perpetrators to justice, take down the terrorist organisations involved in the attack and ensure the safety of Chinese projects, personnel and institutions in Pakistan.” Zhao Lijian also said that China will continue to support Pakistan’s efforts in counterterrorism.
Pakistan reaffirms security of Chinese nationals
Pakistan has been facing pressure to provide infallible security to the Chinese working in Pakistan after recent attacks. On June 29, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a meeting with China’s top diplomat Yang Jiechi in Islamabad in which he reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to improving the security and protection of the Chinese nationals, projects and institutions in the country. The prime minister reiterated Pakistan’s efforts and determination to bring the perpetrators to justice.
